Figure it out
by Science. And. Faith. Too
Summary: Adrian and Sydney find themselves stranded in a small, country town. What they find there is more than they bargained for. Full of romance, a little fluff, and some mystery. Is better than it sounds! Please give it a shot.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Set mid way through TIS. A bit OOC. **

"Come on!" I shouted, kicking the tire softly.

This had to be happening. Really. It was just my luck. Stuck out, in the middle of nowhere, with a vampire who is in love with me.

Adrian, the aforementioned vampire, leaned out of the car window, a sardonic frown formed, curling at his perfect lips.

"Nice move, Sage. And totally not you. What happened to having respect for these things?" he asked, swaggering out of the car and slamming the door shut.

With an angry huff, I moved around to the hood of the car, choosing not to reply. This was all Ms Terwillinger's fault. She couldn't do this "package" drop off herself. _School, Miss Melbourne. Exams are here. Mugsy the cat is sick._ So she passed it on to me. I had to say yes, being me. Being Sage. Honestly. I need to learn to say no.

Adrian had somehow scored an invite, and was already sitting in the front seat when I made my way out during my "study" period. I hadn't said more than 5 words on our ride so far, as he chattered on happily about anything and everything we passed. Gates, roads, signs, pot holes, cows, paddocks, the sun, the windshield, flies.

I was still thinking about the frat party, the kiss. The moment in the hotel room. I was letting things sleep. Distance, I promised myself. Distance was what I needed to forget these irrational feelings.

"No sharp comeback, Sage?"

I shot him a look. "Not while I'm trying to find our way out of this mess. Thanks for the help." He gave me a thumbs up and stood back with his hands in his pockets. His hair ruffled slightly in the breeze, his eyes narrowing a little with the wind. I softened a little.

A quick assessment of the engine told me it was shot. Damn it. I kicked the tire again. We had to find a garage or a repair shop.

I turned and squinted. The sun was beating down hard, despite the autumn breeze. The dirt road we were on looked like it stretched on for miles. Some cows grazed in a paddock over the hill. Miles of nothing stretched on; no civilisation or form of help. We couldn't call anybody since we didn't even know where we were.

I pored over a map none the less. A wasted effort ultimately. I had no idea where we were. I curled the map up and threw it back into the car.

"How far do you think it is to the next town?" I asked, glancing back at Adrian, who was now leaning against the trunk of a tree behind the car. His lighter was almost touching the tip of the unburned cigarette between his lips. I frowned. In this heat? He could light a fire.

"A few miles," he mumbled, slipping the cigarette back into his pocket.

"We have to head over. This car needs some serious repair. I should have taken my own, but Ms Terwillinger insisted. I shook my head impatiently and angrily. My Latte wouldn't have broken down like this. I wouldn't have let it get like this in the first place.

Ms Terwillinger's car was an old, rusted, tin can. I should have known it wouldn't hold up.

Soon, we were headed down the dirt road, with our valuables in our hands, and the car locked and stowed away to the side of the road.

Adrian had helped me conceal the car under some branches of trees we pulled down over the top. It would be fine till we got back.

"This is just our luck. Break down in the middle of nowhere," I muttered bitterly, dusting my hands off against my pants.

"Nowhere never looked so good."

Only Adrian would and could say something like that without sounding totally insane. Though sometimes he was and maybe this was one of those moments. A part of me had to appreciate his sentiment though; his words weren't entirely untrue.

The sun was slowly starting to set, burning a hazy orange on the horizon, and painting the ground and grass golden and yellow. The autumn trees too littered the ground around it in showers of gold and crispy yellows. The dying grass swayed slightly in the light autumn breeze, cool and tingling with sweetness.

We could have been a couple. Walking down a road together, holding hands, walking off into the sunset on an autumn afternoon. But we were Sydney and Adrian. A human and a vampire. And this was reality. That wasn't.

I glanced over at Adrian and restrained a smile. He was whistling and kicking a rock down the road, hands in his pockets. His cheeks were faintly pink from the exposure to the sun, his face sprinkled with small sweat beads. He could have been human right then.

We kept mostly silent, exchanging a few words here and there. Adrian was quiet. He got like sometimes. We talked about anything and everything but what we each of us were clearly thinking about.

Finally, in the distance, to my upmost relief, we spotted the top of a bell tower; a church. And then a whole row of buildings, and finally, there emerged a town. A small, country town, pitted with creaky old wooden buildings, and dusty porches. A large amount of people littered around in a circular centre, the town centre, as we grew closer. They were all dressed in 17th century attire from what I could see. The hairstyles, the costumes, the props; the town looked almost like it was plucked out of the 17th century, and placed right here.

The repair shop was just on the outer edge of town.

"I'm sorry darlin'," the mechanic said with a stereotypical southern drawl. He shook his head and wiped his hands on a grimy rag. He was one of the few not wearing a 17th century get up. And he was saying that he couldn't help us.

"We're closed for the weekend little lady, seeing as its founder's day an' all."

"Founder's day?" I repeated.

He shook his head again a little and tossed the rag onto what looked like the hood of a torn up Citroen.

"Visitors," he muttered. "You just missed the parade!"

"This is one of the most important days in our town's history. Only comes around every 100 years."

Huh? "What do you mean?" I asked. I heard Adrian behind me, walking silently around the shop, touching things here and there.

"I mean, the exact day and exact date."

"Oh."

He moved around me, and pulled the shutters closed on the garage, plunging us all into semi darkness. Light streamed in through the cracks in the shutters, and through a dusty, grimy window.

"I can have someone go out and tow your car in, but no repair works gonna happen till Monday. Sorry."

I sighed. He didn't have a car he could lend us either, and told us there was no taxi service available until Monday.

Adrian who had come to stay next to me, and having heard the entire exchange, nudged me.

"Let's call Jackie. Maybe she can give us a ride back." And with that, he headed off to find some reception.

**AN: I apologise for any stereotypes! I'm not American! And I wanted the setting to be a bit rural. **

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

Ms Terwillinger was no help at all, as it turned out. Adrian came back after a few minutes on the phone, explaining how "Jackie" had said she couldn't come because she had exam supervision, and that we would have to wait a day for her to make the drive out.

"What?" I asked, twirling around.

I was suddenly uncharacteristically angry.

Adrian held his hands up in surrender, apparently seeing the homicidal look in my eyes. "Just the messenger. She said that since it isn't an emergency, we can wait."

"You two kids better get a move on and find some place to sleep," the mechanic called behind us. He had slipped a hat over his balding head, and clutched a bag in his left hand.

"There ain't gonna be no room in the inn at this rate."

* * *

And as it turned out, there wasn't.

"Not even one?" I asked again, impatiently leaning over the receptionist's table. "Not even a single?"

There were two inns in town. The bigger of the two was packed to the brim, as we were told by an impatient receptionist as we squeezed into the reception area. The second was smaller, and quieter. But apparently had zero vacancies.

The receptionist shrugged nonchalantly, chewing furiously at her gum. "Founder's Day. What can I tell you? We're filled up. Booked months in advance." She pulled at her gum.

I sighed and turned. Adrian was sprawled out on the coach, looking like the kid he was; flicking around pebbles and pot pourri on the coffee table.

"No room for us in the inn? Well, that's a cliché," Adrian said, as we left the inn and headed down the road, back to the town square.

"I know! Everything is going wrong. First our car breaks down, then the guy can't repair it, then Ms Terwillinger can't come and get us, then there isn't any room for us in a stupid motel."

Adrian raised his eyebrows. "Whoa, Sage. Cool it."

I let out a big breath and relaxed my shoulders.

"So what are we going to do?" Adrian asked quietly, probably trying to keep me from bursting into another tirade.

I shoved my hands into my pockets. "Find some place I guess. Or head over to the next town to find a motel."

The town square was bustling with activity when we arrived. More so than when we had first arrived. Women sat around in circles, sewing, chatting loudly, still in their costumes. Most of the men had retired to the pub, whilst a few stragglers hung around the edges of the circles. A few women glanced up in interest, but didn't stand.

"Well hello there!" A voice called eagerly. "My name's Leanne." She had a southern accent to her words too, slightly stronger than that of the mechanic's or receptionist's.

A tall woman in her early 40's with short brown hair, coiffed into an elegant 17th century hairstyle swept down on us, her pink dress billowing around her. She had kind brown eyes, edged in old makeup and laugh lines, and long, spidery arms. She looked...familiar. Or maybe it was just the contagious energy she seemed to exude.

"Who are you? You new around these parts?" She broke the space between Adrian and I and turned to clutch each of our arms around hers. She had a motherly air about her, and a soft touch.

I nodded cautiously, trying a smile. "Kind of. Our car broke down, and so we're trying to find a place to stay tonight…" I trailed off.

"Key word: Trying," Adrian piped in. He smiled down sweetly at the woman as she smiled up at him too, affectionately. She pulled at us like we were her own kids. Her kid was out of town, she explained.

"Well why don't you kids stay at our place tonight? Ron an' I'd love it," she squealed, smiling broadly.

Before I could respond, Adrian swept down and with a quick bow and kiss to her hand said, "We'll take it."

Leanne squealed again, and clapped with a young energy beyond her years. She started pulling us away from the town square, and to the pub where she informed us "Ron" was.

"Perfect! You kids have got to meet ma husband Ron. We been married for 20 years, from this September. Oh, I love that man."

Leanne took a real shine to Adrian. They chatted the whole way over. I sipped at my water.

"You kids must be in love too?" She nudged Adrian with a sly look. I choked. Leanne turned around in concern.

Patting me on the back as I spluttered, Adrian quipped, "Yes ma'am. I love this dame more than life itself."

"Oh call me Leanne sweetheart."

"Leanne."

"Now, you kids wait here while I go inside and get Ron." And then she was gone, through the swinging doors of _Leonard's Ye' Ole_ Pub in a rush of chiffon.

I immediately rounded on Adrian. "What was that?" I placed my hands on my hips. It compensated for my lack of authority in the height department.

Adrian shrugged innocently. "Figured they would be more likely to give us a room if we were a couple."

"Yeah, that was definitely it," I muttered bitterly, giving him a look. The rational part of me knew I was angry at myself because I liked having to act like a couple with him. The other part claimed total and complete denial.

"…well, whadda we gone' do?"

Leanne appeared before us again, this time, with a man at her side. Ron was a beefy man in his mid-40's with a moustache that would have given my grandfather a run for his money. Like Leanne however, he had kind eyes, green eyes, a shade lighter than Adrian's.

"I already promised the room to a young couple in there," Ron said, gesturing with a thumb back to the pub.

Leanne looked at us sadly with a bowed head.

Ron continued. "Though we do have a small barn out back. It's not all that glamorous, but it's clean. My son used to camp out there here and there."

"We'll take it," Adrian and I said simultaneously.

They both smiled happily, Ron, from beneath his thick moustache. His eyes twinkled.

"Well, why don't we head on home then?" Ron asked, putting his large arms around Adrian and I.

"We have a lil' dance tonight, down at the old barn near Sally's. So, at 6, we're all gonna head down there. There's gonna be food, beer, and dancing all night," Leanne announced, as Ron chuckled. They both held hands, and swung them. Like young kids.

Adrian beamed next to me.

I shrunk a little. "I don't have anything to wear and I…." I mumbled.

Leanne glanced over and patted me gently on the shoulder. "Well not to worry dear. I'm sure I can fix you up one of ma old pieces from when I was a young un." Ron and Leanne both laughed hard at that.

And then, she hooked her arm through mine, and steered me up the driveway.

"You too, boy," Ron grinned, shoving Adrian up after us.

**AN: Okay, so I know it's slow starting, but it'll pick up pace...soon. In the romance and mystery department. **

**Thank you to all those who reviewed! It's good to know someone is reading this, and actually liking it a little. And I know it's not a waste of my time! Which is great. **

**SO, THANK YOU!**


	3. Chapter 3

Their house was on the other side of town, and sat on a hill overlooking the town. It was a two-storey house with blue and white trim, and made completely of wood. The view was magnificent from the porch. The town was clear as crystal from the top, with the orange sunset setting the view perfectly.

Their barn was located in the crook of the hill behind their home. But Leanne insisted we have dinner before we left for the dance.

"Come on! We'll have dinner under the stars!" Leanne called. Leanne whipped up a meal in under 30 minutes, promising me that she would call me if she needed help.

She didn't.

Adrian was ordered to set the table, and I was ordered to fill the vase. I cut some pink and red roses from the garden, and arranged them in the glass vase in the centre. I could feel Adrian's eyes on me as he placed the silverware down on the table with a soft thud.

I glanced up as I lit the candles too, and our eyes caught. Green and gold. I turned, and hid a small smile.

Leanne's dinner had us full within ten minutes. Pungent, delicious smells permeated the air, spreading down the table in waves. Fireflies and bees flew out lazily over the spread. Roast chicken, sautéed vegetables, potatoes and finally, fresh fruit and homemade vanilla ice cream.

Ron leaned back from the table and patted his rotund stomach soundly.

"Fabulous," he announced, almost drowsily.

I leaned forward. "Yes, it was wonderful. Thank you so much ma'am." Adrian nodded quickly in agreement and gave her a huge smile.

Leanne waved a hand. "Oh, please. Call me Leanne sweetheart!"

I insisted that Adrian and I clear up after dinner. It was the least we could. After some serious protesting by both Ron and Leanne, they finally relented, and went inside for a quick nap.

Adrian quickly stacked up the plates and headed it, while I blew the candles out, and folded the table cloth.

Adrian had already started in on the dishes when I made my way in. He had rolled up his shirt sleeves, and was elbow deep in soap suds. I smiled, and pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

"That was really nice of them, huh?" I started. Adrian passed me a plate with a smile.

"Lovely," he replied, flicking a few suds at my face. I flicked a few back myself. Within minutes, we were both splashing at each other, and grinning, and laughing.

Leanne came in after a few minutes with a stern look.

We both got back to work. I laughed, and plunged my hands back into the water.

What happened next, I was not prepared for. I froze, as Adrian promptly caught my hands between his. His expression was emotionless, save for the thoughtful crease between his eyebrows. His eyes were gentle. Why was he doing this? He knew…we couldn't. Even if I knew I wanted it…we shouldn't. Slowly, almost uneasily, he let go and turned back to the dishes.

A few minutes later, when our hands found each other's in the water, I was the one who grabbed his hand.

The moon had come out as Leanne and I both headed down to the old barn. The silvery light illuminated the town, and its sparkling yellow street lights. Candles were lit and laid down in the town square, in circles and patterns. The water out to the edge of the town also glittered with lamps; bobbing lightly on the edges of the rippling water. They looked like little dots from Leanne's house.

Dark clouds had begun to gather around the town edges, threatening the town with it's a storm. Hopefully, it would hold out an hour too, before the dancing was done, Leanne said. The barn could be seen from a mile away. It was lit up with more of the lanterns from the water, decorated over and into the structure.

Adrian had been with Ron since dinner. After Leanne had fitted him, he headed down to join Ron in the parlour, and that had been the last I had seen of him. Leanne had then fitted me with an old dress of hers. It was a brilliant flowery red, strapless, with a short swinging hoop skirt.

"I used to go dancing in this every Saturday," Leanne had mumbled wistfully through her pin laden mouth. I stood on top of a little stool, in front of the mirror and critically inspected my hairstyle. Leanne had pulled it into a fancy chignon, with a few wavy strands laid out to frame my face.

"And then I met Ron one Saturday in my dancing shoes."

I smiled.

Leanne pulled at the edge of the dress and asked, "How'd you meet your handsome boy? I'm tellin' you." She sighed. "He's a keeper."

My smile dropped a little. "Through friends," I said abruptly, averting my eyes.

"Well, he's a funny one."

I stared back up into the mirror, as Adrian's smiling face swam before my mind's eye. "That he is."

Now, standing in front of the barn, in Leanne's red dancing shoes, I was unsure about my decision.

"It looks like it's gonna rain. I think I'm gonna head back," I said quickly, turning.

Before I could even take a step, Leanne clasped my hand in a steel grip.

"Don't you dare, young lady. It took me an hour to get that dress right."

I sighed impatiently and looked back at the barn. "Fine," I allowed. "An hour. Then, I head back."

"Deal."

**Adrian POV**

Okay, so the old man had really grown on me. Maybe it was the fact that he treated me like a real human being, unlike my own father, who mostly thought I was a screw up.

I could have been Ron's son. We talked about it all. Mistakes, screw ups, girls, good times.

Ron even laid me down with all his wisdom down at the parlour as we knocked back a few whiskey's. Some pre-party refreshments. Ron was a light weight. Two glasses in, he was wasted.

"I'm tellin' you boy," he slurred, "Get em' early, and get em' young."

I nodded sagely.

"I met my Leanne one Saturday night. Swept her right off her feet, straight off," he smiled as he filled both our glasses again. "Never let go."

We toasted.

"Your girl seems all right to me. A little strung up, but pretty darn sweet," he nodded, his eyes widening a little and his moustache ruffling with a smile.

"That she is," I sighed wistfully, curling my hand around the glass of whiskey as Sydney's smiling face swam before my eyes.

**AN: Review?** The next one will be a long-er one.


	4. Chapter 4

It was night time by the time we headed down. The town looked picture perfect. The barn was lit up like a "firework" as Ron shouted.

The girls would head down on their own, Leanne had promised. I hadn't seen Sydney since I left her in Leanne's clutches in the dressing room. I wonder what she looked like.

Leanne had fitted me with an old suit of Ron's, one from his youth obviously, before he had beefed up. She had left the coat off, leaving me in a long sleeved shirt, a vest, suspenders and some pants she had to tailor. Ron had been taller than me in his youth.

The barn was lit up with lanterns that hung from the high beams of the ceiling. A faint smell of manure hung in the air, only noticeable to me it seemed, with my sense of smell. Dry hay was stacked up against the walls, and a wooden stage stood off to the back of the barn. A band was sitting, playing a quick, fast tempo beat with mandolins, banjos and guitars. To the side, a makeshift bar had been constructed, and was passing out tall glasses of frothy ale and beer.

Ron and I helped ourselves to some ale, despite the fact Ron had sobered a little. We spoke a little to the others there, and Ron introduced me like a son, thumping me on the back and smiling proudly. It was a small town.

Just as the lights were turned down a little, and the band struck up a new song, the barn doors opened to the let the ladies in.

My eyes automatically searched for Sydney, almost impatiently.

I almost wouldn't have recognised her, if it wasn't for Leanne at her side. This woman was a beautiful stranger. If Sydney's red dress for Halloween at gotten me, well, this one had me in from the first glance. She wore an old fashioned dress, with a strapless corset like top, and a swinging hoop skirt. Red embroidered flowers covered the top, fading as it approached the edges of the skirt. The colour complemented her large, expressive golden eyes. She was beautiful. More so than usual. The dress looked like it was made for a goddess itself. One like Sydney.

She clung nervously to Leanne, her eyes twinkling with uneasiness.

I caught her eye as they headed over to Ron and I, leaned up against the bar. She shrank a little, and looked down consciously.

"Well?" Leanne called loudly, gesturing up and down at Sydney. Her lip was caught between her teeth.

"Beautiful, young lady. Beautiful," Ron whispered, leaning forward toward Sydney and kissing her hand softly.

Her face relaxed into a smile and she shrugged.

"Beautiful," I whispered. She glanced over, and I was sure she had heard.

**Sydney POV**

The dance wasn't as bad as I had expected I guess. I started to loosen up as Adrian and I were swept up into one dance after another. The townsfolk were happy and easy going. They made room for us, included us, showed us the way. It was like we were one of them.

Adrian's reaction to my appearance…had left me sufficiently confused. Watching his eyes sweep over me and hearing the word beautiful from his lips, again. Well, that had churned up some pretty serious feelings I had been attempting to bury. But here they were, right in front of me now. What was I feeling? What was I thinking?

How could I? He is a vampire! I hate you! Maybe if I kept repeating it over and over again, it would be drilled in.

No, that hadn't done the trick when I was in training, clearly.

And I just kept looking at him like some idiot. Because, well, he looked good. As the night grew louder, and more raucous, he had taken the vest off, leaving him in suspenders and pants. He had turned his shirt collar up and was doing a fast jig with a little girl on the dance floor.

I could have sworn too, that he was looking at me too. I caught him a few times, glancing, staring, watching.

"…I'm just going to grab a dance with this young lady over here," Adrian said, nodding as he drew the little girl to where I stood.

"What? No, it's fine." I shook my head, and stepped back a little. "I can't".

A little breathless, Adrian leaned forward and whispered, "Can't or won't?"

My breath caught a little, and I swallowed. This close, I could smell his musky cologne, still strong despite the hot night.

"Both," I whispered.

Before I could whisper another sound, he grabbed my crossed arms, and swung me around on to the dance floor in one smooth move.

"You're still my little girl, Martha," Adrian called back to the little girl.

"Adrian-" I started. He clasped me around the waist and pulled me close. It was like we were moulded to fit each other, like a silk glove to a hand, we were a tight fit. As soon as were came together, flush, a spark ran from my fingers, right down into my chest. I glanced up immediately, watching his eyes as they regarded me silently, quietly.

"We're a couple right? Maybe we should start acting like one someone, anyone, will believe."

That seemed….logical, I decided, through my hazy thoughts. I nodded slowly and swallowed, placing one hand in his hand and the other on the small of his back.

The band played a fast song we skipped and laughed and danced too. Then, almost abruptly, they switched. Glancing at the podium, I immediately knew why. Leanne was whispering quickly to the lead band member as he signalled with a flick of his wrist to the rest of the band to switch.

A slower, sweeter tune replaced the rapid one. The other couples around us immediately fell into the mood, holding onto partners and swaying slowly and happily. Leanne and Ron even slipped into an intimate embrace, and swayed along to the tune. Adrian and I broke apart silently.

It was almost perfect. The lanterns were turned down, and moonlight shone through the cracks in the ceiling, illuminating the dance floor. Awkwardly, Adrian glanced up at me, his hand outstretched to me. His green eyes smouldered in the glowing yellow light of the lanterns, highlighting orange flecks them. In this moment, he wasn't a vampire. And we weren't Adrian and Sydney. This was a man asking a girl to dance.

So I accepted.

We swayed, like the others. He held me close. He held one of my hands, slowly stroking it, laying his head softly against mine. He was half of a whole. And I was the other half. It was like completion. At this moment, I didn't care that he was a vampire. That my history and heritage and familial blood pumping through my veins was screaming at me to stop. Not with the feelings that were swirling inside me, brimming full in my heart, overflowing into my veins.

I looked up, as he gently looked down on me, with those eyes. Those intense green eyes. And a look in them I had never seen.

We would have kissed. Right there, under the moonlight, and the stars, and all those people watching.

But the storm clouds had held long enough.

It poured.

The lanterns were extinguished almost instantaneously, and joyful screaming filled the barn as people shuffled to find shelter.

Keeping me in his embrace, Adrian shouted, "Come on!"

We ran, happily, joyously, crazily. He dragged me out of the barn, over the hill, and down into a mysterious building that was so dark, I didn't recognise till Adrian lit a lantern.

It was a barn. Different from the one we had just run from, but a barn none the less.

Hay was pushed up against the walls, with a sink in the corner, a cupboard, some photographs nailed to the walls, a mirror, and a ladder leading to a loft. Upstairs, I could just see the tip of a bed post. It was warm, which was the main thing.

I squeezed my hair as dry as possible and approached the photographs, tracing them with my wet fingertips.

"This must be Le-e-e-anne and Ron's barn." My teeth chattered and I rubbed my arms furiously to create some friction. "Hey, this is weird…."

"What?" Adrian came up behind me, wrapping a towel he had grabbed apparently from thin air, and rubbed my arms up and down with his hands. His hair and face dripped with water, his shirt and pants soaked through. A small part of my heart coiled in desire.

"Okay?"

I nodded silently, and wiped my face.

Adrian rustled up some more towels. The generator was working well. Whoever had refurbished the barn had done a good job. It was more than liveable.

"Do you want me to head back to the house and grab our clothes?"

"No!" I said, too quickly. He smiled. "I mean, it's pouring, you'll get sick."

"I'm a strong guy, Sage." None the less, he didn't leave. And I was grateful.

* * *

Adrian told me to go to bed as soon as he saw me nodding off against the wall.

"Come on," he said, nodding at the ladder.

I didn't protest. I climbed up the ladder quickly, slipped off my shoes, and collapsed on the bed, curling up under the covers. When I didn't hear Adrian's footsteps after me, I looked down, watching him through blurry eyes grabbing stacks of hay.

"What are you doing?" I asked groggily. He looked up, grinning.

"Making a bed. What does it look like?" He fluffed the hay out flat onto the cold ground.

I frowned. "You can't sleep like that. You'll get a bad back."

"There might be bugs in that hay," I added.

Adrian immediately dropped the hay. I smiled. And then considered.

"Get up here."

"What?" Adrian called, mystified.

"Don't make me say it again."

"I just always hoped that when you said that, it would be for…other reasons."

I rolled my eyes. None the less, he made his way up into the loft, slipped off his shoes, and climbed in behind me. I shuffled over to make more room.

He kept his distance. Which I guess I appreciated. I smiled, and then my world swam into unconsciousness as I fell immediately into a deep sleep.

**Review? So I know I should keep going!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Please keep in mind during this chapter, that this does take place during TIS. So, it does make sense. And isn't fast. You'll get what I mean as you read on.**

The moon was still out. The rain had stopped. I could smell the wet grass from outside as I breathed in deeply. And then I stopped completely. A body was pushed up flush, right up to me from behind. Arms were laced around my waist, trapping me fast. I was about to panic when I remembered. Adrian. Our exchange.

His face was buried in my wet hair, rubbing unconsciously against it. I wasn't mad. Or even curious. I guess we had naturally gravitated, seeking warmth our bodies were both yearning, but our minds had tried to ignore. We were both still damp, drying slowly due to our collective body heat. I gently pulled at his arms. He jerked a little, and loosened, conscious now. He pulled a little away and whispered sorry. Cautiously, uncertainly, _slowly_, I turned around, lying on my side to face him. Wisps of my uncertainty evaporated and broke, like thin ice.

I hadn't realised exactly how close we had been. I turned right into his open arms, his hands automatically clasping my trembling waist. I could just make out his features in the moonlight. His hair looked almost black, darkened by the rain, his emerald eyes bright in the moonlight. My breath quickened involuntarily. My eyes were surely betraying me. He regarded me inquisitively for what seemed like the millionth time tonight.

And then it struck me. I recognised that look in his eyes. I had seen it just before I had gone to bed, in the mirror, staring back at me.

I had seen that look in _my_ eyes.

It was desire. Longing. Love. And that's all there was to it. Just love. Memories of the frat house, our first kiss, the hotel room, the spirit dream, swam before me in vivid flashes. His hands on me. On the table. Tinkling, shattering china. Our kisses, hot with fiery passion and desperate love.

I looked back at him, and traced the edge of his lip with my fingertip. Catching my hand in his, he softly, sweetly, kissed each fingertip, keeping our eyes locked. Gold caught with green. I didn't protest. I didn't want to.

I pressed myself closer, pulling my head closer, moving my hands up his damp shirt, feeling Adrian. My Adrian. I swallowed, as he slowly pushed back my hair away from my neck, and caught his hand in the dip between my shoulder and neck.

Our lips edged closer, and closer.

And we kissed. His lips, his soft perfect lips met mine in a kiss I wanted, and was hungry for.

Soft at first, then hungrier, stronger. My response was instantaneous and joyous. I didn't break away, or protest, or even murmur a sound. But oh, it was just as sweet and passionate as it had ever been, and more so even.

We kissed. And kept kissing. My hands were in his hair, on the sides of his face. His lips moved toward my collarbone, and he kissed that too. Up, up, up, inching up from my collarbone, up my neck, near my ear, and finally, on my lips again. I moaned, as we twisted into each other, touching, stroking. Fiery need, want, _desire, _licked its way up my body, bubbling in my veins and exploding in my heart.

It was like completion. His hands felt up my back, up to my zipper, until he broke away, moving his hands away.

"What?" I muttered, shocked by the sudden loss of his hands on me.

"I'm sorry, Sydney. I know you don't…"

Touching his face slowly with my fingertips, I cupped his face, pulling him close.

"I love you," I declared. And like that, it felt like a thousand kites were cut off my back, and flying free into the sky. A huge weight lifted in my heart, off my soul.

It was as simple, and uncomplicated as that. I loved him.

I smiled, and leaned up to kiss him deeply, surely.

"I love you, do you hear?" I repeated, when we broke off. We were both breathing heavily, touching, caressing, whispering into wet mouths.

"I hear."

And with that, I threw my arms around his neck, and tilted my head up to kiss him. We kissed feverishly, breathlessly. I pressed myself right against him, burning, the fire within my body incinerating with hot, maddening desire. Desperate, delightful desire.

The aching in my stomach boiled, and became too much to bear. I moaned. He pulled away a little, whispering, stroking my face, kissing my face, breathing into me.

His eyes were blazing. He murmured into my mouth. _Love, love, love._

We would have done it, right there and then, wet and damp on a bed in a barnyard loft in the moonlight morning.

Until we heard a scream. Screams.

_Fire. _

We were both down the ladder within minutes and rushed out through the doors.

The old barn was on fire. People were rushing down in droves to extinguish the fire, sloshing big buckets of water, and dragging towels.

Two dark figures ran quickly down the hill from the house, and joined us at our side. Ron and Leanne.

"You kids okay?" Leanne asked anxiously, a hand at her neck, looking us both over quickly. Her expression shifted a little.

I looked down at my attire, and Adrian's. My dress was a little out of place. My hair was curly and wild.

Adrian's first four buttons were undone, revealing a bit of his chest. His lips were a throbbing red, bruised by our fervent kisses. I knew what she was seeing. And I was mortified.

"Er…we're fine," Adrian said quickly. He came up behind me and straightened my dress in one swift pull.

Slowly, we all turned back to the fiery barn. The flames were under control now, with at least 20 people throwing water at the blaze. The dark clouds were back again. Hopefully that would give it some more relief.

Ron and Leanne headed down to ask the others what had happened. I couldn't sleep, and neither could Adrian. We both sat on the hill; our legs pulled up, watching the others rush down to the old barn. It started to sprinkle a little, but we stayed out anyway.

"Do you…" Adrian started. I turned, and moved my hand over to his, covering it.

"I don't regret any of it. I stand by what I said." I smiled.

And it was true. I was at a crossroads in my life. Stuck, and torn, and unable to choose between what is right or wrong. Wrong? Was our relationship really wrong? Had it ever been wrong? The truth was that no, it never felt wrong. Not even when we first kissed, no matter what I thought. Being with Adrian had never been wrong. It could never be.

There was no denying it. How else could I explain our connection? The way I felt whenever he was around? That feeling of completion when he touched me. And how whenever he kissed me, I felt it all, right down to my bones. And it wasn't just about our physical attraction. No, there was more to it than that. Any thoughts about me being a conquest for him melted away. It had been my shield, to protect myself from the truth buried deep in my weakened heart. He had known that, before I had even understood what I was feeling. There he was, understanding me like no one ever had. I was sure this meant as much to Adrian as it did to me. That his love wasn't false. He would have followed me anywhere, as he had already done.

For once, the ever thinking Sydney had to stop thinking. The way he understood me, like no one ever has, and the way he cares about me? If that wasn't love, I didn't what was. The alchemists, my father, all the morals and ethics of my job, they didn't need to dictate my life and the way I feel. If denial was how I needed to live my life, full of lies and mistruths, well then I no longer wanted it. The truth was that I love him. And that's okay.

We both stood. I don't know who kissed how first. Almost simultaneously, he leaned down, and I leaned up, and our lips met in a sweet, rain soaked kiss.

Our wet mouths wouldn't have stopped. But someone was coming. And they whistled. We both broke apart, and turned a little. I was still in Adrian's arms.

"Young love," the voice said. His accent was…weird. It had a southern twang to it….but it also sounded slightly…British.

"Who are you?" I asked automatically. Adrian and I both took a cautious step back.

"I should be asking you two that. What are you two doing in my barn?"

**Please review! I'd love to know what you think. So if you did like it, let me know!**


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys. Or whoever is out there reading this right now.

I know we all hate ANs, but I felt that I need to say this now, instead of just disappearing.

I'm a flaker. I start, and then I just flake out. I lose confidence, I lose interest….gosh, I don't know. I guess, what I'm trying to say is that I have decided to stop writing this story, and my other standing ones.

That last chapter was my last on this site. I have full respect for the fanfiction community, and wish all you great writers out there the best.

My account will be closed down soon, so if anyone wants to continue writing this, please let me know.

I apologise if I hurt any of you, and if you are disappointed in me.

**- J**


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